Is June Mt. Dead?

MMSA official statement --

***
June 21, 2012
Rusty Gregory, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Chairman and CEO, announced
today the company will not operate June Mountain this summer and for
the upcoming 2012-13 winter season. “June has operated at an annual
deficit each year since its purchase in 1986,” said Gregory. “It is
time to invest some of this subsidy into the analysis and planning
required to position the resort for a sustainable future, then secure
the approvals and financing required to create it.”

Mammoth purchased June Mountain in 1986 with the idea of significantly
increasing the size of the resort by building new facilities,
extending new runs to the June Lake Village, and fostering additional
developed ski areas along the San Joaquin Ridge, resulting in a
connection between Mammoth and June Mountains. For a number of
reasons, these plans were never realized and June Mountain has, in
turn, suffered from an identity crisis that has both stifled its
ability to achieve its full potential and required substantial
financial subsidy from Mammoth on an annual basis. Cessation of
operations will help the company dedicate its focus to a new future
for June Mountain. Mammoth will be working with its partner the U.S.
Forest Service to reach the best possible result in this endeavor.

In the weeks to come, Mammoth will be working to determine if and to
what extent it can absorb June’s year round workforce.

Mammoth Mountain will continue to offer world-class skiing,
snowboarding and summer activities for locals and visitors to the
region.

Mammoth Mountain has operated continuously under permit from the U.S.
Forest Service since 1954, and operated both resorts for the past 26
years. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area also owns and operates a variety of
resort businesses including recreation, hospitality, food and beverage
and retail including Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Tamarack Lodge and
Resort, Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures, Woolly’s Adventure Summit,
Mammoth Mountain Bike Park and the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Mammoth
Mountain also operates Juniper Springs Resort, the Village at Mammoth,
and Sierra Star Golf Course.
***

Long discussions here --

http://forums.mammothmountain.com/vi...p?f=13&t=13693

http://forums.mammothmountain.com/vi...p?f=14&t=13706

Radio interview with MMSA GM Rusty Gregory--

http://kiwi6.com/file/71r8xi2481

On Jun 22, 9:44*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
Radio interview with MMSA GM Rusty Gregory--

http://kiwi6.com/file/71r8xi2481

Email from MMSA CEO



As a Mammoth Value Pass member I want to inform you personally of a
very difficult decision I made last week. After a great deal of
thought and deliberation precipitated by this year's drought and weak
market demand, I have decided not to open June Mountain for operations
this summer and the following winter.
June Mountain was purchased by Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in 1986. As
you undoubtedly know, it is an intimate and relaxed ski resort of a
bygone era, located in one of the most beautiful settings in the
Eastern Sierra. Despite these natural attributes and our best efforts
over the last 26 years, we have been unable to attract the number of
skiers and riders required for June Mountain to sustain itself. Over
the last several years, which have been marked by global financial
crisis, recession and droughts, ticket and pass sales have slipped
steadily from 80,000-100,000 to an average of 35,000-45,000 per
winter.

As much as I believe that June Mountain can be a viable and successful
mountain resort, it is clear this will not happen by continuing to
operate the ski area the same way we have been for 26 years and hoping
for a different result. It is time to redirect some of the annual
subsidy June requires to investment in the analysis and planning
required to correctly position June Mountain for a sustainable future,
then to do the work to secure the regulatory approvals and financing
required to create it.

Your MVP membership purchased this spring includes lift privileges at
June Mountain for winter 2012-13. The purpose of this letter is
twofold: 1. I want to be open and transparent about my decisions,
especially the difficult ones; 2. I want you to know I am acutely
aware that you bought your MVP membership believing that June Mountain
would be in full operation. We will provide a full and immediate
refund to any 2012-13 MVP member, upon request during the month of
July, who would like to reverse their purchase because of my decision
not to open June Mountain this summer and next winter. Please refer to
the refund instructions on our website for details on how to receive a
refund.

I have said many times MVP members are our most important guests. It
is my intent to be personally accountable to you for my actions and
decisions as the CEO of MMSA. If you have any questions or comments
please call me personally on my direct line at 760.934.0731.

Today's Mammoth Times news

http://www.mammothtimes.com/content/...d-facts-sooner


With all the talk about other parties buying June Mountain (see
accompanying story on p.1), with the emerging protests, the bottom
line is June Mountain is built on land that does not belong to any
single person. Every citizen in the country owns it. It is not private
land, but public land.

The only thing MMSA owns is the developed properties on the mountain.

The ski area was built before WWII on United States Forest Service
Inyo National Forest land. Today, MMSA holds what is known as a
“special use permit” that allows it to operate a ski area on federal
land. Gregory signed it on Jan. 2, 2006, and it is good for 50 years.

The catch is that the permit is valid only if MMSA operates the ski
area under the criteria and conditions established by the Forest
Service.

The permit is 16 pages and makes clear that in the end, what the Inyo
National Forest giveth, the Inyo National forest can taketh away.

“This use (as a ski area) shall normally be exercised at least 365
days a year or season,” the permit reads. “Failure of the holder to
exercise this minimum use may result in termination…”

The permit further reads: “The Forest Service may suspend or revoke
this permit in whole or part” for several reasons, including “failure
of the holder to exercise the privileges granted by this permit,”
amidst other reasons.

Nancy Upham, the public information officer for the forest, said
Thursday that every permit is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. That
means sitting down and talking to Gregory and/or other MMSA
representatives.

“We need to discuss this with them, understand their plans and know
that they fully understand that their permitted use could be
terminated,” she said, adding that the meeting would probably not
occur until the week of July 9, since both Gregory and the forest’s
supervisor, Ed Armenta, are out of the area until that week.

On Jun 22, 1:21*pm, Richard Henry wrote:
MMSA official statement --

***
June 21, 2012
Rusty Gregory, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area Chairman and CEO, announced
today the company will not operate June Mountain this summer and for
the upcoming 2012-13 winter season. “June has operated at an annual
deficit each year since its purchase in 1986,” said Gregory. “It is
time to invest some of this subsidy into the analysis and planning
required to position the resort for a sustainable future, then secure
the approvals and financing required to create it.”

Mammoth purchased June Mountain in 1986 with the idea of significantly
increasing the size of the resort by building new facilities,
extending new runs to the June Lake Village, and fostering additional
developed ski areas along the San Joaquin Ridge, resulting in a
connection between Mammoth and June Mountains. For a number of
reasons, these plans were never realized and June Mountain has, in
turn, suffered from an identity crisis that has both stifled its
ability to achieve its full potential and required substantial
financial subsidy from Mammoth on an annual basis. Cessation of
operations will help the company dedicate its focus to a new future
for June Mountain. Mammoth will be working with its partner the U.S.
Forest Service to reach the best possible result in this endeavor.

In the weeks to come, Mammoth will be working to determine if and to
what extent it can absorb June’s year round workforce.

Mammoth Mountain will continue to offer world-class skiing,
snowboarding and summer activities for locals and visitors to the
region.

Mammoth Mountain has operated continuously under permit from the U.S.
Forest Service since 1954, and operated both resorts for the past 26
years. Mammoth Mountain Ski Area also owns and operates a variety of
resort businesses including recreation, hospitality, food and beverage
and retail including Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, Tamarack Lodge and
Resort, Mammoth Snowmobile Adventures, Woolly’s Adventure Summit,
Mammoth Mountain Bike Park and the Mammoth Mountain Inn. Mammoth
Mountain also operates Juniper Springs Resort, the Village at Mammoth,
and Sierra Star Golf Course.
***

Long discussions here --

http://forums.mammothmountain.com/vi...p?f=13&t=13693

http://forums.mammothmountain.com/vi...p?f=14&t=13706

Radio interview with Rusty Gregory, the GM of MMSA.

LA Times today

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3265113.story

There was a meeting of the June Lake Community Council last night.
The discussion got angry when the manager of June Mt said there was
not enough time remaining before the winter to perform lift
maintenance and inspections, aand that he has no staff to perform the
work anyway.

On Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:53:56 -0700 (PDT), Richard Henry
wrote this crap:

There was a meeting of the June Lake Community Council last night.
The discussion got angry when the manager of June Mt said there was
not enough time remaining before the winter to perform lift
maintenance and inspections, aand that he has no staff to perform the
work anyway.

Hasn't he seen a calendar? Winter is 5 months away. It won't start
snowing until Thanksgiving.

BTW why didn't you volunteer? I'm sure you would have gotten a season
pass.

Vote for Romney. Repeal the nightmares.

On Jul 26, 7:12*am, wrote:
On Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:53:56 -0700 (PDT), Richard Henry
wrote this crap:

There was a meeting of the June Lake Community Council last night.
The discussion got angry when the manager of June Mt said there was
not enough time remaining before the winter to perform lift
maintenance and inspections, aand that he has no staff to perform the
work anyway.

Hasn't he seen a calendar? *Winter is 5 months away. *It won't start
snowing until Thanksgiving.

BTW why didn't you volunteer? *I'm sure you would have gotten a season
pass.

Vote for Romney. *Repeal the nightmares.

I already have a Mammoth/June season pass, which will now just be a
Mammoth season pass.

Latest development -

The "owner" (presumably MMSA or its corporate master Starwood) has put
the Rodeo Grounds lot up for sale.

http://remax-mammoth.com/property-se...isted% 20DESC